Apparatus for forming fibrous sheet material



n l5, 1929. @www .L J., HINDE APPARATUS' Fon FORMING Frnoussww'r MATERIAL Fied June 24. 1927 Patented Jan. l5, 1.9.29.

UNITED STATES PAT-15h11? oFv-Flcle..

A CORPORADION 0F ILLINOIS.` 1

-`I ue'ImItA'Iius non IoRMING aIImzorrs snaar MATERIAL. g

Application filed June 24, 1927. Serial `No. 201,088.

This'invention relates in general to the provision of an apparatus for forming a continuous sheet of fibrous materialvand to the process of forming a fibrous sheet materialv stage of depositing the fibrous material upon the screen and as a finished product, the result contemplated being a fibrous insulating felt or board of substantial thickness, depending upon the use for which it is intended.

A principal object of the invention is in the provision of a forming vat to which pulp under considerable head or pressure maybe 'i the forming cylinder.

in the forming vat.

applied lwithout .loss of the pulp by leakage. A further important object of the inven-l tion is in the provision of a forming vat .with a continuous Vscreen passing into and out of the vatand having a substantially fluid-tight closure for the screen at the inlet thereof. A further important object of the invention is in the provision of a fibrous sheet former, and the process employed for vmaking afcomparatively thick sheet out of a coarse fibre under pressure. p

Other vobjects will appear hereinafter. In the drawing, I v Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, and

Flgure 2 is a cross section taken through This invention relates more particularly to the formation of al comparatively thick felt or sheet of insulating materialmade of coarse fibres, both long andl short, felted together in a thick mass under considerable pressure Referring now more. particularly tothe drawing, ai forming vat is designated generally with the reference numeral 5 .and mayy be of any desired size or shape, suiiiciet toy containa forming cylinder. 6 of considerable size. This vatpis adapted to receive pulp .7 of suitable mixed long and short lfibres from stantialloss of the pulp.

a pressure bQxS represented as having baffles ,JAMES a'. EINDE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To THEIIINDE" PRODUCTS CoM- f rm, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs,

9 and 10,-acontrolling valve or gate 1,1, and y a pipeV 12 leading from-some suitable source of supply. Pulp 1s admitted fromthe'pres- .sure box to the vat 5 through a moreor less tortuous passage formed by baffles 13 and 14. A continuous screen or foraminated-belt 15 extends over the forming cylinder 6 Within the vat 5 and passes under a number of forming rollers 16 and over idlers 17 Which guide 1t in its path 'outside of the vat'.

Extending from the cylinder 6 at the edges of the screen 15 arel flanges 18- for holding' the'screen in place and also for forining a y'substantlally pulp-tight closure for the vat 1n connection wit-h a flexible roller 19 mounted on a shaft 19' and pivoted in the ends o f the vat. l"The roller 19 has grooves 20 at the ends into which the flanges extend, the vat being formed with an inwardly extending edge 21 for engaging the surface oLf the roller and preventing the escape of pulp ,from

the vat. Preferably, the extending edge 21 which contacts with the roller 19 is on the outer side of the roller so that theroller itself is substantially enclosed, affording but little opportunity for leakage of pulp1 from y the vat and even if a certain amount does leak through between the roller and the contact-y ing' edge 21, it will drip upon the screen 15 at its point of entry, which will cause no sub- Thejbody of the cylinder 6 is also of raminated material, except at the ends 22 thereof, which are opposite shells-23 extending from ,the end walls of they forming vat stantially fluid-tight connection there etween so that a fluid discharge pipe 25/.I'nay be connected at one fend of the vat for communicating with the interior of the cylinder 6 and'for withdrawing the more liquid content of the pulp from the inside of the cylinder, thereby further increasing the pressure difference bey tween the inside and outside of the cylinder causedby the elevated pressure boxS. This pipe 25 discharges into a suitable box or receptacle 26 from which the liquid is pumped through a pipe 27 and discharged or reused in the-pumping operation.

In order to form the boardl or. sheet of pulped material, an endless belt or screen- 28N is disposed outwardly from the forming vat, making a tight connection with the vat and 9 0 and having a deckle band 24, makin a sub u y the pressure roller 16 of the screen 15. It will be observed that the belts and 28 are arf being carried upon rollers 29 disposed below ranged togradually approach atv/the louter the moisture is further removed by squeezing point of ytheir travel, thcrollers 16 and 29 act- Iing to r press surplusmoisture from the pulp y and to deliver `the pulp in a formed sheet upon a suitable carrier orplatform 31, from or by which it is taken, dried and cut into vsuitable sheets or strips.

'adhere to the screen in a gradually increasing layer as the screen rotates about the cylinder' 6. When the screen 15 leaves the forming vat, there is adhering to it a thick mass of the pulp, from which the greater part of the liquid is withdrawn into the interior of the cylinder, and as this thick pulpy'sheet is withdrawn between the screens 15 and 28,

rolls 16 and 29, and the pressure being removed from the upper screen-1 5, the pulped mass rests upon the lower screen 28 so that when the end of travel of the screen is i get-her and engages a platform or carrier 31l .from which it may be taken, dried and cut; Inmounting the rollers 16 and 29, and one reached, the lsheet 30 is pressedftightlytoof the idle rollers 17, a plate 32 may be provided at each 'side ofthe screens 15 and 28 in which the rollers are mounted, to confine orV to assist in confining V,the matted pulp between the screens.- These rollers may also lbe pro-j v v vided with end fianges 33 for positioning the screens and also to partially confine the pulp therebetween.

Although this apparatus may be used for feltingatogether fibrous materials of various kinds`,'itis particularly designed and adapted for use in making fibrous sheet materials from long and short fibres of a lcoarse or woody nature, such'as shredded corn stalks and even including thef pit-h, leaves, stalk, cobs and roots. By applving pressure to a pulped l 'ing in space and in the cost of the equipment.

. While I have shown and described -my -inventiony in a preferred embodiment thereof, it is obvious'that'other changes may be made .without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. I claim: v

` 1. In an apparatus for forming fibre sheet material, the combination with a vat, of a perforated cylinder rotatable in the vat, a belt extending from the outside of the vat around the cylinder, means for feeding pulped fibrous material under and meansi forming a su 4stantially fiuid-tight connection between the vat and the belt where lit enters the vat.

2. In an apparatus sheet material, a vat, means for feeding pulp under pressure to the vat, a perforated forming cylinder'mounted in the vat, means forming a closed dischargeA for liquid from the interior of the forming. cylinder, a foraminous belt extending about the roller, and means forming a substantially fluid-tight connec. tion between the belt and the vat at the point of entry of the belt into the vat.

3; In an apparatus for forming fibrous sheet material, a forming vat, a perforated cylinder rotatable therein, a screen belt ex tending from the outside of the vat partially around the cylinder, and'means pressing thebelt against thefcylinder at the point where it enters the vat and forming a substantially yHuid-tight connection therewith.

ressure into the vat,

for forming fibrous 4. In an apparatus for forming fibrous sheet material, a forming vat, a cylinder rotatable therein having projecting spaced flanges, a belt extending from the outside of the vat partially around the cylinder between the fianges, and means comprising a roller having grooves for engaging the flanges and adapted to make a substantially fluid-tight connection between the vat and the belt.

5. Inv anapparatus for forming fibrous sheet material, a vat, a perforated cylinder rotatable therein, a foraminous belt extending from the outside of the vat, substantially around the7 cylinder, another belt extending below the other belt in contact with the vat for receiving fibrous sheet material collected by the said other belt in its passage around the cylinder, and means for supplying pulp under pressure to the belt in its passage a out the Vcylinder so that it carries a thick sheet of fibrous material to the other belt.

.6. In an apparatus for forming fibre sheet material, a forming vat, a forming cylinder rotatable therein, means" forv supplying pulped fibre'under pressure to the forming vat, a foraminous belt extending from without the vat ypartially around the cylinder,

means forming a substantially fluid-tight` connection between the vat and the belt where it enters the vatand a second belt extend.- ing below the first belt from the place where the first belt passes out of the vat for receiving the fibrous material which adheres to the first belt during its passage through the vat.

7. In an. apparatus for forming fibrous sheet material, a substantially closed forming vat, a perforated vcylinder rotatable therein,

an endless screen belt extending from the outside of the vat *and substantially around the cylinder, another belt extending below the first named beltfor receiving fibrous sheet surplus liquid from the interior of the oyl- A material collected'by the first named belt in inder causing the fibrous material of the pulp its passage about the cylinderfmeans for supto adhere to the first named belt as it passes 10 plying pulp under pressure to the {i1-St named about the cylinder, and means for thereafter belt in its passage about the 4cylincler so that pressing and drying the removed material in `it carries a thiok sheet 'of fibrous material a continuous sheet.

to the second belt, and means for removing v v JAMES J. EINDE. 

